Film doesn't exaggerate history, represents it: 'Phule' director amid controversy
What's the story
Ananth Mahadevan, the director of the much-anticipated film Phule, spoke about the controversy surrounding its release.
In a conversation with TOI, Mahadevan confirmed that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) recommended certain changes in the film.
However, he clarified that these were not cuts but minor "tweaks," such as the removal of certain references and changing a phrase.
The film, originally slated for April 11, will now release on April 25.
Filmmaker's stance
Mahadevan expressed his views on the suggested changes
Mahadevan shared what he thought of the proposed changes and said, "As a filmmaker, I would not like my film to be touched...with such insignificant and innocuous changes."
He added, "I don't understand why we are so nervous about how people will react, or how sensitive they are. I think we should respect the sensibilities and the sensitivities of the audience."
Release delay
'Phule' release postponed to address concerns
The release of Phule was pushed by a couple of days to allow things to settle down and address concerns.
"This film does not exaggerate or fictionalise history. It does not even interpret history. All it does is represent history," the director added.
"The only thing that I felt a little upset about was that we wanted to release it on April 11, which was Jyotiba's birth anniversary."
"That would have gone down in history for posterity."
Censorship insights
Mahadevan discussed the role of censorship in filmmaking
When asked about censorship's role in filmmaking, Mahadevan said, "I think some people watched the trailer and jumped the gun."
"They concluded that the film is against a particular community. It's not. Yes, there are conflicts, but the beauty of Jyotiba and Savitribai Phule's life is the harmony and interaction they had with all communities."
Certification explained
Mahadevan clarified the difference between censorship and certification
Mahadevan also clarified the difference between censorship and certification, adding, "Certification happens abroad where films are certified as per their content - universal, with parental guidance, restricted viewing and strictly for adults, etc."
"In India, we did try to amend the process, but the problem is that with the certification, we retained the censorship too."
The film stars Patralekhaa and Pratik Gandhi.